Famous Track And Field Athletes from the United States

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Updated June 15, 2019 23.2K views157 items

List of notable or famous track and field athletes from the United States, with bios and photos, including the top track and field athletes born in the United States and even some popular track and field athletes who immigrated to the United States. If you're trying to find out the names of famous American track and field athletes then this list is the perfect resource for you. These track and field athletes are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known track and field athlete from the United States is included when available.

Amy Acuff and Carl Lewis are included on this list.

This historic track and field athletes from the United States list can help answer the questions "Who are some American track and field athletes of note?" and "Who are the most famous track and field athletes from the United States?" These prominent track and field athletes of the United States may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected American track and field athletes.

Use this list of renowned American track and field athletes to discover some new track and field athletes that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page. {#nodes}
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  • Lolo Jones

    Lolo Jones

    Age: 41
    • Birthplace: Des Moines, Iowa, USA
    Lori Susan "Lolo" Jones (born August 5, 1982) is an American hurdler and bobsledder who specializes in the 60-meter and 100-meter hurdles. She won three NCAA titles and garnered 11 All-American honors while at Louisiana State University. She won indoor national titles in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in the 60-meter hurdles, with gold medals at the World Indoor Championship in 2008 and 2010. She was favored to win the 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but tripped on the penultimate hurdle, finishing in seventh place. She went on to win gold at the 2008 World Athletics Final, beating the newly-crowned Olympic champion Dawn Harper with a time of 12.56. Jones is the American record holder in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.72.Jones also competes as a brakewoman on the U.S. national bobsled team. She won a gold medal in the mixed team event at the 2013 World Championships. She represented the U.S. at the 2014 Winter Olympics, making her one of the few athletes who has competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
  • Carl Lewis

    Carl Lewis

    Age: 62
    • Birthplace: Birmingham, USA, Alabama
    Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. His career spanned from 1979 to 1996, when he last won an Olympic event. He is one of only three Olympic athletes who won a gold medal in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games. Lewis was a dominant sprinter and long jumper who topped the world rankings in the 100 m, 200 m and long jump events frequently from 1981 to the early 1990s. He set world records in the 100 m, 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m relays, while his world record in the indoor long jump has stood since 1984. His 65 consecutive victories in the long jump achieved over a span of 10 years is one of the sport's longest undefeated streaks. Over the course of his athletics career, Lewis broke ten seconds for the 100 meters 15 times and 20 seconds for the 200 meters 10 times. Lewis also long jumped over 28 feet 71 times. His accomplishments have led to numerous accolades, including being voted "World Athlete of the Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federations and "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee, "Olympian of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Athlete of the Year" by Track & Field News in 1982, 1983, and 1984. After retiring from his athletics career, Lewis became an actor and has appeared in a number of films. In 2011, he attempted to run for a seat as a Democrat in the New Jersey Senate, but was removed from the ballot due to the state's residency requirement. Lewis owns a marketing and branding company named C.L.E.G., which markets and brands products and services including his own.
  • Amy Acuff

    Amy Acuff

    Age: 48
    • Birthplace: Port Arthur, Texas, USA
    Amy Lyn Acuff (born July 14, 1975) is a track and field athlete from the United States. A high jump specialist, she competed in the 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games as a member of USA Track and Field. Her best Olympic performance came at the 2004 Games, where her jump of 1.99 m earned her fourth place in the final.
  • Sanya Richards-Ross
    • Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
    Sanya Richards-Ross (born February 26, 1985) is a Jamaican-American former track and field athlete who competed internationally for the United States. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she won gold in the 400 metres after finishing third at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Richards-Ross has also won Olympic gold in the 4×400 meters relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the best 400m runner in the world for a decade, ranking No. 1 in the world from 2005-2009 and again in 2012. In addition to her Olympic accolades, she is also a seven-time medalist at the World Championships in Athletics (five of which are gold). In 2009, she was the World Champion in the 400 metres.
  • Bryan Clay

    Bryan Clay

    Age: 43
    • Birthplace: Austin, Texas
    Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay (born January 3, 1980) is an American decathlete who was the 2008 Summer Olympic champion for the decathlon and was also World champion in 2005.
  • Georganne Moline
    • Birthplace: Missoula, Montana
    Georganne Moline is an American hurdler who specializes in the 400 meter hurdles and 400 meters. She won a spot on the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 400 meter hurdles. Moline graduated from Thunderbird High School in Phoenix, Arizona. During her senior year of high school, she was the 4A-1 State Champion in the 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles. Because of a stress fracture, Moline redshirted the outdoor season of her freshman year at the University of Arizona. At the University of Arizona, she anchored the 4X400 relay, setting indoor and outdoor school records in 2010. During the 2012 outdoor college season, Moline won the 400m hurdles title at the Pac-12 Championships. She was undefeated in every 400m hurdles event she entered that season, until she fell in the preliminary round of the NCAA championship. At the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials, she placed second in 400m hurdles with a time of 54.33 to make the Olympic team. Moline made at the Olympic team at age 22, after completing her junior year of college. At the Olympics, Moline won her 400m hurdles preliminary heat with a time of 54.31, a new personal best.